ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Every offseason since 2007, Champ Bailey returned to Dove Valley headquarters and had to learn a new scheme under a new defensive coordinator.

Not this summer.

Jack Del Rio is back for a second straight season with the Broncos.

That’s no small thing in Denver, where even the hottest of coaching seats in the league were downright cool compared to the Mile High musical chairs at defensive coordinator.

Starting with Jim Bates replacing Larry Coyer in 2007, and followed by Bob Slowik (2008), Mike Nolan (2009), Don Martindale (2010), Dennis Allen (2011) and Del Rio, the Broncos were always under the hood with a new mechanic.

Now, Bailey said, they can finally see how fast that baby can go.

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have resigned backup center Timofey Mozgov to a three-year, $14 million contract.

Mozgov, who has averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 130 career games, figures to get more minutes under new coach Brian Shaw. He averaged 2.6 points and 2.6 boards in 41 games last season.

After helping Russia win the bronze medal at the London Olympics, Mozgov was slated to start last year, but Kosta Koufos wowed George Karl in camp and won the starting job. With JaVale McGee’s big contract, Mozgov was the odd man out.

The Nuggets traded Koufos to Memphis on draft night. McGee is expected to start this season with Mozgov and J.J. Hickson getting backup minutes.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The state’s first mountain lion hunting season next year will be held on a trial basis, then reviewed by wildlife biologists and staff to determine whether there will be a second season.

On Friday, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved the creation of a mountain lion hunting season to begin in 2014.

Stacy Swinney, a Dawson County commissioner from Chadron, tells the Lincoln Journal Star (http://bit.ly/16nfuPK) that most residents in the Pine Ridge area support a long season and would like to see more cougars killed by hunters.

But Angelika Byorth, of Lincoln, says she is considering filing a lawsuit against the commission over the new hunting season. She says the gene pool of the re-emerging mountain lions is too small to sustain a viable population, “let alone all-out hunting.”

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies have recalled right-hander Collin McHugh from Triple-A Colorado Springs and optioned righty Mitchell Boggs to the minors.

McHugh will start Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Rockies acquired McHugh from the New York Mets for outfielder Eric Young Jr. on June 18. He was assigned to Colorado Springs, where he was 2-1 with a 2.40 ERA in five starts.

McHugh was 0-1 with a 10.29 ERA in one start with the Mets this season. He is 0-5 with an 8.26 ERA in 11 appearances — five starts — in his major league career.

Boggs began the season with St. Louis before being traded to the Rockies on July 9. He was recalled from Double-A Tulsa on July 20 and appeared in two games. He was sent to Triple-A.

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Rockies left-hander Drew Pomeranz was scratched from his scheduled start against Milwaukee and placed on the 15-day disabled list because of left bicep tendinitis.

That was just one injury plaguing the Rockies on Friday night. Carlos Gonzalez, forced to leave Thursday’s game against Miami after aggravating the sprained middle finger on his right hand while swinging the bat in the first inning, was held out of the starting lineup. He is day to day.

The Rockies recalled outfielder Corey Dickerson from Triple-A Colorado Springs to take the roster spot created by the disabling of Pomeranz, who was 0-4 with an 8.10 ERA in four starts over two stints with Colorado this season.

Right-hander Collin McHugh, acquired last month from the New York Mets for Eric Young, will take Pomeranz’s start on Saturday and make his Colorado debut. The Rockies will have to make another move to add McHugh to the roster.

It will be McHugh’s second major league start this season. He took the loss on June 1 while with the Mets against Miami.

DENVER (AP) — Tyler Chatwood pitched seven strong innings and hit a two-run double to help the Rockies break out offensively, leading Colorado to an 8-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.

Todd Helton and Nolan Arenado each had two hits and an RBI for the Rockies, who had scored an NL-low 58 runs in their 20 previous games in July.

Chatwood (7-3) allowed two runs on six hits and struck out the side in the first inning, finishing with a career-high 11 strikeouts on the night. He is 4-1 with a 3.47 ERA in eight starts at Coors Field.

The Rockies’ bats came alive against one of the Brewers’ top pitchers in recent weeks, Wily Peralta (7-10), who entered 3-1 with an 0.87 ERA in his previous six starts.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos drafted Quanterus Smith to replace Elvis Dumervil, yet he just might spend his first month as a pro helping to fill the big cleats of All-Pro pass rusher Von Miller, who is facing a possible four-game suspension.

Smith embraces one notion and cringes at the other.

Miller is lining up at his strongside linebacker position during training camp but if the NFL denies his appeal and makes him sit out all of September for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, the Broncos have a range of options to fill the void.

Or they could just send in Smith, the intriguing rookie from Western Kentucky

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Game and Parks commissioners have approved the creation a mountain lion hunting season to begin in 2014.

Up to four mountain lions may be killed next year in the Pine Ridge area of the Nebraska Panhandle, the only area known to have a reproducing population of the big cats.

There will be two seasons in the area, with a limit of two mountain lions for each. The first season will be Jan. 1 to Feb. 14. One permit will be issued by auction and one will be issued by lottery to a state resident.

The second season will be Feb. 15 to March 31. There will be 100 lottery permits issued to residents.

Each season will close immediately once the quota of two mountain lions or one female is met.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Lincoln City Attorney’s office won’t file charges against former Nebraska defensive end Cameron Meredith related to a fight last month.

Chief Assistant City Attorney John McQuinn told the Lincoln Journal Star (http://bit.ly/13j1P9q ) on Friday the 23-year-old Meredith won’t be charged.

Meredith earlier was cited after the early morning fight June 16 in downtown Lincoln.

Witnesses told police Meredith and his friends got into a confrontation with another group. A 20-year-old man intervened and was hit, suffering a broken jaw and broken eye socket.

McQuinn told the Journal Star, “I can’t provide you with any other information other than to say we reviewed it in our office and determined that prosecution should be declined.”

Meredith, of Huntington Beach, Calif., appeared in 56 games in his career, setting a school record.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos’ top draft pick, Sylvester Williams, signed a four-year, $7.6 million deal Thursday, completing an unlikely path from 19-year-old factory worker to NFL riches at 24.

Williams’ deal includes a $3.9 million signing bonus and another $2.2 million in guarantees.

The 313-pound defensive tackle from North Carolina will vie for a starting job with veterans Kevin Vickerson and Terrance Knighton.

Williams started just one football game in high school in Jefferson City, Mo., and was working at a factory making radiator parts when he decided to give the gridiron another chance and walked on at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.

After two years there, he went on to star for the Tar Heels, and Denver made him the 28th overall pick in last April’s draft.